Vision of a Far Away Church
by LoveStoryMermaid
Summary: Expands on the flashback in 5x02 and explore's young Hope's reaction. It's been four years since Klaus has harbored The Hollow and been away from Hope. Four years that Hope hasn't seen her father. One night, she missed him too much and used a spell to try and see him. What she finds is Klaus attacking a church and it's not the father she remembers, but family's still family.
1. Mom

Vision of a Faraway Church

"Mom!" Hope called out without thinking before she covered her mouth and sank to her knees. She would be in so much trouble. She wasn't supposed to be doing magic and she'd even made a point of trying to cover it up with music. She hadn't really thought it'd be all that big of a deal, but now… A part of her wanted to deal with what she'd just seen on her own, but a bigger part of her couldn't comprehend what she'd just seen on her own. So, just a minute later that's where her mom found her, torn between the two desires: holding her knees as she sat on the floor with her face on her lap, making only the slightest whimper.

"Hope!" Hayley called in a panic as she took in the scene, her daughter tucked up inside a salt circle. "Hope! Are you okay?!" Hope refused to move. "Hope, answer me!"

Hope looked up then, slowly, pleadingly. "I'm sorry. I just wanted to see daddy."

Hayley let out a breath. "Are you okay?"

Hope nodded but didn't move or say anything more. "But…" Hayley prompted, stepping inside the salt circle to sit next to her daughter.

"Everyone always told me daddy used to be a bad guy." Hope whispered.

Hayley nodded slowly. "Until he met you. Hope, you showed him there was a better way."

"But it wasn't enough, was it? That's why he left and hasn't come back?"

"What? No, baby. Your dad left to protect you. Hope, what happened?"

"I missed him so much. I know I'm not supposed to do magic, but I just wanted to see him. I didn't think that would hurt anything."

"It's okay. I'm not mad at you." Hayley reassured her. "I miss daddy, too. What did you see?"

Hope shook her head a moment, not wanting to answer before blurting it. "He ripped someone's heart out and was surrounded by a lot of dead people and then he yelled at me to leave."

Hayley took a deep breath and pulled her daughter close to her. She waited a minute to answer and then looked at her daughter, taking Hope's hands in hers. "I won't lie to you. You know what you saw was horrible. Evil, even. And you know what you saw was real. But, also know this. Your father loves you very much, Hope. He'd never do anything to hurt you. He yelled at you because I'm sure you surprised him and he didn't want you to see the very worst of him." Hayley considered, "You know how upsetting it is when daddy and I ground you and you can't see Uncle Elijah or any of your friends and sometimes you get really angry?"

Hope nodded. Hayley continued. "It doesn't make what you saw okay, not at all. But, your dad's had to be away from you for a very long time and I know that makes him very sad. And after awhile, that sadness can turn into rage. You saw the very worst of him. But, Hope, you've also known him at his very best. A time in his life where he left all that behind him and you were the reason for it. Hold onto that, for all of us."

"I'll try. So, then, why can't we get him back and make him better?"

"Oh, baby. I wish we could." Hayley took a breath. "You were very young when it happened, so you dad and I decided that it would be best for you to think he just left. I know now that was wrong of us. Your dad didn't just leave you. Your dad was…cursed, in a way. If he comes near you, you'll die. So, he left to keep you safe."

"But he's alone and it's making him bad again. Can't we call him?"

Hayley nodded, considering. "You know what? I think that's long overdue. But, it's late. What do you say we call him first thing in the morning?"

Hope nodded and threw her arms around her mom. "I love you, mommy."

"I love you too, baby. Now, promise me you won't do magic again without telling me first."

"I promise."


	2. Dad

The next morning just as she heard Hope getting up, Hayley picked up the phone to call Klaus. She thought it might go to voicemail, before he finally answered. "Hayley? Why are you calling?"

"Oh, I don't know Klaus. Maybe it has something to do with our daughter seeing your murder an entire church last night."

"Maybe you should teach her how to listen better! It's one simple task that you apparently can't do!" Klaus yelled. "She's not supposed to be doing magic, Hayley. It makes it that much easier for The Hollow to track her!"

"YOU DON'T THINK I KNOW THAT!" Hayley yelled in a loud whisper, trying not to alarm Hope. "AND DON'T YOU DARE TRY TO PUT THIS ON ME! SHE'S _**NINE**_, KLAUS, AND SHE MISSES HER FATHER. WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!"

"YOU THINK I DON'T MISS HER!?" Klaus responded tightly? "I WAS THINKING I HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO HOLD MY DAUGHTER FOR FOUR YEARS AND SO I'D KILL EVERY LAST BASTARD THAT HAD SO MUCH TO DO WITH THE DAMN THING RESPONSIBLE."

"I know you miss her!" Hayley cried. "I don't expect that things have been easy, not at all. But, not even so much as a phone call?"

"I'm trying to protect her, Hayley! We can't know what communication is safe, so I'm playing it safe as can be."

"And I've respected that. But, now Hope's saintly vision of you is shattered and you need to talk with your daughter."

Hayley walked upstairs and knocked on Hope's door. "Hope? Your father's on the phone if you'd still like to talk to him."

Hope automatically burst into a joyous smile before she remembered what she'd seen last night. But, she hesitated only a moment before holding out her hand for the phone. "Daddy?" she asked cautiously.

"Hope? How are you doing?" Klaus asked.

Hope took a minute to answer. "I saw you kill those people."

"I did." He paused and asked. "Are you scared of me?"

"I don't understand. Why did you do it?"

"I would never hurt you, Hope. That's all I care about: keeping you safe. Those people would have tried to use me to get information that would let them hurt you and I couldn't let that happen. It doesn't make it okay. I just want you to know I was trying to protect you and I won't ever hurt you."

"Momma said you've been badder lately because you miss me and it hurts."

"I do miss you very much, sweetheart."

"I miss you, too, daddy. I wish you could be here, but momma also said you couldn't to keep me safe."

"That's right."

"Well, you shouldn't have to be so alone. Do you think you could try to be good for me and call more often? That way we both don't have to miss each other so much and things will be better."

"I'll make you a promise. I promise I'll call more often, when I can, and that I won't do anything that hurts someone if I can help it. And I promise to be good for you, Hope. But, can you promise me something in return?"

"What?"

"I need you to promise to listen to your mother, okay. If she tells you not to do magic, you can't do magic. If she tells you it's not a good time for us to talk, you need to respect that and listen. Do you think you can do that for me?

"I can do that for you, daddy."

"Okay, sweetheart. I have to go now. I love you."

I love you, too, daddy."


End file.
